The son of legendary former India captain Sunil Gavaskar joined an unofficial multi-million-dollar breakaway league as a battle hots up with cricket authorities.

Rohan Gavaskar, who figured in 11 one-day internationals, was the latest player to join the Indian Cricket League (ICL), bankrolled by media baron Subhash Chandra who owns India's largest-listed media company Zee Telefilms.

"I signed the papers recently. The main reason is it would give me a chance to compete with international players again," the 31-year-old told The Telegraph on Wednesday.

"Obviously I spoke to dad. Like always he made me aware of the pros and cons and told me the decision was mine."

The ICL, which plans to hold Twenty20 tournaments between city teams for the next three years, has already announced signing up seven international stars and 44 Indian first-class cricketers.

Former Test captains Brian Lara of the West Indies and Inzamam-ul-Haq of Pakistan lead the ICL list that also includes Pakistanis Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq and Imran Farhat and South Africans Lance Klusener and Nicky Boje.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to bar Indian players aligned to the ICL from playing first-class cricket, making them ineligible for selection for national teams.

The BCCI last month sacked former India all-rounder Kapil Dev from the honorary post of chairman of the Bangalore-based National Cricket Academy.

Dev, India's only World Cup-winning captain, is regarded as the brain behind the ICL which has signed up international stars and domestic players for the next three years.

The former all-rounder has hit out against the board.

"The BCCI always works with politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats. In the past 70 years, not a single sportsman has joined the board -- in the ICL, I have a free hand," he said in an interview with Tehelka magazine.

"This is not the first time I've fought with the board. They blame me for making money. What is wrong if I earn money by joining a professional league? What do they do, these board members?"

The BCCI, apparently in a bid to counter the breakaway group, was set to announce its own international Twenty20 league plans in New Delhi on Thursday.

Officials from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England and Australia are expected to join the meeting.